The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare [the false prince TXT] 📗

the value.
The dearest ring in Venice will I give you,
And find it out by proclamation:
Only for this, I pray you, pardon me. Portia

I see, sir, you are liberal in offers
You taught me first to beg; and now methinks
You teach me how a beggar should be answer’d.

Bassanio

Good sir, this ring was given me by my wife;
And when she put it on, she made me vow
That I should neither sell nor give nor lose it.

Portia

That ’scuse serves many men to save their gifts.
An if your wife be not a mad-woman,
And know how well I have deserved the ring,
She would not hold out enemy for ever,
For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you! Exeunt Portia and Nerissa.

Antonio

My Lord Bassanio, let him have the ring:
Let his deservings and my love withal
Be valued against your wife’s commandment.

Bassanio

Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him;
Give him the ring, and bring him, if thou canst,
Unto Antonio’s house: away! make haste. Exit Gratiano.
Come, you and I will thither presently;
And in the morning early will we both
Fly toward Belmont: come, Antonio. Exeunt.

Scene II

The same. A street.

Enter Portia and Nerissa. Portia

Inquire the Jew’s house out, give him this deed
And let him sign it: we’ll away to-night
And be a day before our husbands home:
This deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.

Enter Gratiano. Gratiano

Fair sir, you are well o’erta’en
My Lord Bassanio upon more advice
Hath sent you here this ring, and doth entreat
Your company at dinner.

Portia

That cannot be:
His ring I do accept most thankfully:
And so, I pray you, tell him: furthermore,
I pray you, show my youth old Shylock’s house.

Gratiano That will I do. Nerissa

Sir, I would speak with you.
Aside to Portia. I’ll see if I can get my husband’s ring,
Which I did make him swear to keep for ever.

Portia

Aside to Nerissa. Thou mayst, I warrant.
We shall have old swearing
That they did give the rings away to men;
But we’ll outface them, and outswear them too.
Aloud. Away! make haste: thou knowist where I will tarry.

Nerissa Come, good sir, will you show me to this house? Exeunt. Act V Scene I

Belmont. Avenue to Portia’s house.

Enter Lorenzo and Jessica. Lorenzo

The moon shines bright: in such a night as this,
When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees
And they did make no noise, in such a night
Troilus methinks mounted the Troyan walls
And sigh’d his soul toward the Grecian tents,
Where Cressid lay that night.

Jessica

In such a night
Did Thisbe fearfully o’ertrip the dew
And saw the lion’s shadow ere himself
And ran dismay’d away.

Lorenzo

In such a night
Stood Dido with a willow in her hand
Upon the wild sea banks and waft her love
To come again to Carthage.

Jessica

In such a night
Medea gather’d the enchanted herbs
That did renew old Aeson.

Lorenzo

In such a night
Did Jessica steal from the wealthy Jew
And with an unthrift love did run from Venice
As far as Belmont.

Jessica

In such a night
Did young Lorenzo swear he loved her well,
Stealing her soul with many vows of faith
And ne’er a true one.

Lorenzo

In such a night
Did pretty Jessica, like a little shrew,
Slander her love, and he forgave it her.

Jessica

I would out-night you, did no body come;
But, hark, I hear the footing of a man.

Enter Stephano. Lorenzo Who comes so fast in silence of the night? Stephano A friend. Lorenzo A friend! what friend? your name, I pray you, friend? Stephano

Stephano is my name; and I bring word
My mistress will before the break of day
Be here at Belmont; she doth stray about
By holy crosses, where she kneels and prays
For happy wedlock hours.

Lorenzo Who comes with her? Stephano

None but a holy hermit and her maid.
I pray you, is my master yet return’d?

Lorenzo

He is not, nor we have not heard from him.
But go we in, I pray thee, Jessica,
And ceremoniously let us prepare
Some welcome for the mistress of the house.

Enter Launcelot. Launcelot Sola, sola! wo ha, ho! sola, sola! Lorenzo Who calls? Launcelot

Sola! did you see Master Lorenzo?
Master Lorenzo, sola, sola!

Lorenzo Leave hollaing, man: here. Launcelot Sola! where? where? Lorenzo Here. Launcelot Tell him there’s a post come from my master, with his horn full of good news: my master will be here ere morning. Exit. Lorenzo

Sweet soul, let’s in, and there expect their coming.
And yet no matter: why should we go in?
My friend Stephano, signify, I pray you,
Within the house, your mistress is at hand;
And bring your music forth into the air. Exit Stephano.
How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!
Here will we sit and let the sounds of music
Creep in our ears: soft stillness and the night
Become the touches of sweet harmony.
Sit, Jessica. Look how the floor of heaven
Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold:
There’s not the smallest orb which thou behold’st
But in his motion like an angel sings,
Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins;
Such harmony is in immortal souls;
But whilst this muddy vesture of decay
Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it.

Enter Musicians.

Come, ho! and wake Diana with a hymn!
With sweetest touches pierce your mistress’ ear,
And draw her home with music. Music.

Jessica I am never merry when I hear sweet music. Lorenzo

The reason is, your spirits are attentive:
For do but note a wild and wanton herd,
Or race of youthful and unhandled colts,
Fetching mad bounds, bellowing and neighing loud,
Which is the hot condition of their blood;
If they but hear perchance a trumpet sound,
Or any air of music touch their ears,
You shall perceive them make a mutual stand,
Their savage eyes turn’d to a modest gaze
By the sweet power of music: therefore the poet
Did feign that Orpheus drew trees, stones and floods;
Since nought so stockish, hard and full of rage,
But music for the time doth change his nature.
The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit